Rask hits the jackpot, signs huge deal to stay with Bruins

Tuukka Rask took a gamble on himself last summer, signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal after finding out Tim Thomas was stepping away from hockey. On Wednesday, he hit the jackpot.

By Dan Cagen/Daily News staff

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Dan Cagen/Daily News staff

Posted Jul. 10, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 10, 2013 at 10:23 AM

By Dan Cagen/Daily News staff

Posted Jul. 10, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 10, 2013 at 10:23 AM

» Social News

Tuukka Rask took a gamble on himself last summer, signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal after finding out Tim Thomas was stepping away from hockey.

Having never played a full season as a No. 1 goalie and coming off consecutive years that ended with injuries, Rask didn't have leverage to negotiate for big money. He doubled down on himself with a one-year bridge contract.

On Wednesday, he hit the jackpot.

The Bruins announced an eight-year, $56 million deal that will keep the Finn in Black-and-Gold through 2021. He'll occupy them so long, there wouldn't be any objections if Rask signed the TD Garden creases as well as the contract.

The 26-year-old didn't just fill Thomas' skates admirably last season, he staked a claim as an elite goalie in the league. Rask posted a 2.00 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in 36 regular-season games, ranking among the league leaders.

He was even better in the postseason, leading the Bruins to within two wins of a second Stanley Cup in three years. Rask had a 1.88 GAA and .940 save percentage in the postseason with three shutouts.

Rask allowed two goals in the four-game conference finals sweep of the Penguins, keeping stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Jarome Iginla and Kris Letang scoreless. The 0.44 GAA and .985 save percentage bettered anything Thomas did in a series during his spectacular 2011 run.

Had the Bruins defeated the Blackhawks, Rask was a leading contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Rask felt for years that he had the talent to be in the conversation as a top goalie. His playoff performance put his name alongside Henrik Lundqvist, Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne as one of the best.

"I don't think it was a calculated risk," agent Bill Zito said two weeks ago of the one-year deal. "I think everyone who knows Tuukka knows how good Tuukka is."

After folding in the 2010 collapse against the Flyers, there were questions about Rask's ability to handle a lengthy postseason run. Instead he got better as the playoffs progressed and – aside from a memorable tumble at Madison Square Garden – was rarely to blame for goals.

He ended any doubt that he could replace Thomas.

"I don’t think I have to answer those questions anymore," Rask said two weeks ago. "I played good. Proved everyone again that I was capable of doing it. I mean, you look at the numbers, they’re good. If I just analyze my game and by how I felt throughout the year I thought it was a great year."

The Finn has taken his place as one of the Bruins' core players along with Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron, who's entering the final year of his contract and is expected to get a big extension of his own soon. Coach Claude Julien builds his system from the defensive zone out and that's been the tenet of the Spoked-B success over the last six years.

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The Bruins will have their three cornerstones locked up through the 2017-18 season once Bergeron signs. It's hard to find a better defensive forward-defenseman-goalie combination than Bergeron-Chara-Rask.

Rask has a $7 million cap hit, which is equal to Nashville's Rinne for the highest figure for a goalie in the NHL. It's also the highest on the Bruins, surpassing Chara's $6.916 million annual hit.

The Bruins are now over the $64.3 million salary cap for next season, but won't have a problem being compliant when the puck drops in October. Teams are allowed to exceed the cap by 10 percent ($70.73 million) until the end of training camp. According to capgeek.com, the Bruins are over the cap by slightly more than $1.36 million.

They could make a deal to remove salary in the next three months or place Marc Savard and his $4 million-plus contract on long-term injured reserve.

Rask's lengthy and lucrative deal underscores the robbery the Bruins committed when they acquired him from Toronto in 2006 for young goalie Andrew Raycroft. Raycroft, who had been a Calder Trophy winner with the Bruins, played two seasons for the Maple Leafs and spent last year toiling in Italy.

Dan Cagen can be reached at 508-626-3848 or dcagen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanCagen.